Device for holding down shirt-waists.



No. 769,212. PATENTED SEPT. 6, 1904.

A. E. DUNBAR.

DEVICE FOR HOLDING DOWN SHIRT WAISTS. urmom'mn I'ILBD OCT. 28, 1902.

0977,7261; E..Z)un5a7;

Witnesses, F

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of front; and-it consists in the novel features vention will be fully understood from the .tribute to give shape to the waist of the wearer Patented September 6, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

ANNA E. DUNBAR, 0F

DEVlCE FOR'HOLDING ALBANY, NEW YORK.

DOWN SHIRT-WAISTSQ I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 769,212, datedsepteinber 6, 1904.

Application filed October 28, 1902- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANNA E. DUNB'AR, a citizen of the United States, residingat Albany. in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Devices for Holding Down Shirt- Waists and Supporting Skirts, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to a device for supporting a skirt with its upper end or waist portion covering the lower end margin of a shirt-waist and so holding. in front with the steels of a corset as to give to the front exposed portion of the skirt a dip-form appearance or a downward incline, while the rearward portion of the same is relatively hori' zontal in appearance, and the side portions running forward over the hips and toward the front are made to gradually slope forwardly and downward, so as to give to the waist of the wearer an appearance of greatest length of construction of devices and parts and novel inafter described, and set forth in the claims.

Other purposes and advantages of this indescription when taken in connection with the drawings, in two sheets, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure l is a perspective view of the device embodying this invention and of the front of a corset employed in connection with the device. Fig. 2 is a view of the said device from its rear side. I

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout both views.

In the drawings, B is a corset of any ordinarg construction, which is adapted to conabove the hips, and Z) Z) are the steels of the fronts of the two halves of the corset where they join at the front of the wearer.

My new device consists of the sectional girdle E, comprising the rear half part E and front half part E and buckles E suitably secured to the respective terminals of one of said sections, while the terminals of the other sections are adapted to be readily connected Serial No. 129,086. (No model.)

with said buckles. The rear half part E of "this sectional girdle consists of a strip of suit- 1 sides over the hips and stopping short of meeting at the front of the wearer. The front half part E consists of portions '6 e, made of material preferably similar to that of which the rear half part E is made. These portions 6 e are arranged relatively at an angle to each other; and are securely fixed from changing their relative lines of inclination when pulledon, so thatthe said portions may be held from being straightened out into a horizontal line, similar to that which the rear side portion of the rearward half part Eis allowed to assume when in place on the wearer. These two half parts E and E and the said two buckles E adapt this girdle E to have its circumference enlarged or contracted at pleasure, with a letout for enlargement of the circumference of p the girdle andla take-up for contraction of the same, which may bereadily effected without changing the relative location of the said portions 6 e of the front half of the girdle and without shifting the point of intersection of said angular portions 0 e from the point of exact front of thewearer.

F is a keeper suitably connected with the front half part E at its point of middle of length (which is the point of connection of the portions -6 e of the same) by means of the vertical connecting-piece F, secured to the -meeting ends 6 e of said angular portions 6 e by any suitable means, yet preferably by means of stitchings f, Fig. 2. This piece F is preferably made of closewoven strong fabric made in the form of an adjustable strap, which has one portion, f, turned down from its upper end stitchings f and another portion, f passed through a suitable loop provided with said keeper F and turned up therefrom, as shown, and having their respective portions f and f connected by a suitable connecting device, preferably a buckle F secured to the terminal of the downturned portion f, while the tongues of said buckle engage with the upturned portion f Fig. 2. This form of construction of connecting-piece F gives to it the feature of adjustabilityin respect of length between the point of its connection With the said front half part of the girdle and that of the keeper F.

V The keeper F is made of metal and with any suitable form of engaging devices which may adapt it to be engaged with the steels b b of the 'corset'B in direction from the lower ends of the same, as in Fig. 1. I prefer to form the keeper of wire With dual form doubled wire f f, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and with dual cross-bars g g, the loop 9 for holding With the loop f of the portion f of the con necting-piece F, while the other bar,g,serves as a keeper for hearing against the outer side portion f at near said loop f holding bar g.

H is a downholding keeper suitably secured to the angular form front side portion of the girdle at the point of its middle of length, where the connecting-piece F is joined on the connected ends of portions 0 of the said front side part E This keeper H is made in the form of a hook, having its nose h turned for- Ward and down from its body IL for adapting it to hook down on the band of the skirt and keep it drawn down in front. I at present prefer to make this downholding keeper of sheet metal and secure it to the front side part E of the girdle by means of eyelet if.

G is the skirt-supporting plate, which is secured against the outer surface of the rear side portion E of the girdle by means of eyelets h In this plate G is provided a slotform opening g, which is adapted to receive a suitable skirt supporting device. shown.)

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. A shirt-waist distender adapted to coact with a pair of corsets comprising a girdle made (Not in two sections, one of which is flexible and the other is stiff and shaped to a point, means connecting the two sections whereby the size of the girdle may be varied, a flexible vertical connecting-piece fastened to the still section, a buckle on one end of the said connectingpieee to engage the opposite or free end thereof, and a keeper supported at the lower end of the connecting-piece, said keeper having two upwardly-projecting hooked lower ends adapted to engage a corset, substantially as described.

2. A shirt-waist distender adapted to coact with a pair of corsets, comprising an adjustable girdle, the front of which diverges downwardly to a point, a flexible vertical connecting-piece fastened to the front of the girdle, a loop formed in one end of the connectingpieoe, a buckle supported by said loop, the opposite end of the connecting-piece engaging the buckle and a keeper having two side legs and connected by two cross-bars at the upper ends, upturned hooks at the lower ends of the keeper adapted to engage the lower portion of a corset, substantially as described.

ANNA E. vDUNBAR.

Witnesses:

CHARLns SELKIRK, CHAS. R. SELKIRK. 

